


Comfort Food for the Soul

by Corabmarie, MsMK, MysteryFicAnon



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:54:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27277573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corabmarie/pseuds/Corabmarie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsMK/pseuds/MsMK, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteryFicAnon/pseuds/MysteryFicAnon
Summary: Drabbles and One-shots for Comfortember 2020!This collection will include both xReader and Papcest, maybe PapcestxReader even, who knows? Pairing and relevant tags/warnings will be stated in the notes at the beginning of each chapter. All chapters with smut will be tagged with an (*) if there end up being any.Each of us has picked 10 of the prompts to do. Chapter one is just a list of prompts and who is doing them, and will beupdated with chapter names and pairings as they are posted!We hope you enjoy!♥️ Co-Authors MsMK, CorabMarie, and MysteryFicAnon
Relationships: Papyrus (Undertale)/Reader, Papyrus/Papyrus (Undertale), Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 24
Kudos: 78
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	1. Comfortember List

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are going to do these out of order so this will now be a list updated as we update the chapters!

  1. Table of Contents (You are here!)
  2. Rescue (Mystery-Fic-Anon) (UT!Pap/Reader)
  3. First Day/Night (MsMK) (SpicyHoney)
  4. Anxiety (MsMK) (SpicyHoney)
  5. Cuddling (MsMK) (EdgePuff)




	2. Day 1: Rescue (Papyrus/Reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dull coffee run is livened up by an eccentric skeleton.
> 
> (this is a first meet, but it's implied ut!Papyrus/reader)
> 
> Warnings: none

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to @Clehnian for beta reading this, I appreciate it! :)

Today was just not your day. Apparently your phone cord had finally died overnight, leaving you to wake up on your own to a dead phone with ten minutes before you needed to be at work. You didn’t even have time to grab new clothes from your closet; you just pulled on your outfit from yesterday and hoped that it didn’t look too wrinkled. Of course, you’d been chewed off by your boss for your unprofessional attitude before going to sulk at your desk for the rest of the day.

Only you weren’t even allowed to do that, apparently. You were chosen as the coffee gopher when some very important executives were going to be visiting your department. You’d quickly jotted down the coffee orders for eight strangers you barely knew alongside the six regular ones on a piece of scrap paper. Your paycheck wasn’t big enough for this, but you couldn’t exactly call Janice out for her rigged system in front of the regional director.

So you’d shut up and hustled over to the closest coffee shop. It was actually a really nice place; a little independent cafe instead of a big chain. There was always good music playing, something nice and unobtrusive to listen to as you watched other people hurry by on the busy Ebbott streets outside. You went there every time you needed a boost, organic prices be damned.

You kind of felt bad for Kara as you watched her attempt to stack fourteen coffee cups, two donuts, three scones, and a muffin on to two of their cardboard cup holders. You probably would have felt worse, but you were the one who had to carry them back to the office. You could already feel your weak noodle arms trembling under their weight...

Kara was done all too soon, sliding them carefully across the counter. “Okay, so I put the iced drinks on top, and I figured you could just take the pastries in a separate bag? I know it’ll be hard to hold on to that and the drinks, but they’ll be crushed if I try to put them into a stack...”

“It’s fine, thanks.” Despite your exhaustion, you put on a smile for Kara. She deserves a bit of positivity. She smiles back, and you two share the silent understanding that only two tired, stressed-out workers can share.

Unfortunately, the tower with the extra large coffee on top of it was just too unstable. You hadn’t even made it to the door by the time it began wobbling dangerously. Trying to duck for a table would only make you spill the other tray, and you wanted to salvage some of this order if you could.

“I’ve got it!” A chipper voice calls out, and two skeletal hands suddenly appeared in your field of vision. They grabbed the other side of your leaning tower of disaster, keeping it from collapsing at the last second. The tips of their boney fingers brushed against yours, rather warm despite their grim appearance.

You look up, meeting the eyes—eye-sockets?—of your savour, who is, unsurprisingly, a skeleton monster. “Oh, thanks.”

“It’s no problem!” The skeleton-Papyrus, according to the name tag stuck to his apron-smiles brightly at you. You haven’t seen him around before; he must be new. He certainly has the energy of someone new to service jobs. “I would hate to let a nice human like you have such a disaster.”

“Yeah, that would have been quite the spill.” You notice that Papyrus still hasn’t let go of the tray. You know you’re only making yourself late, but you can’t bring yourself to pull away. He’s just so bright and cheerful, and if this is a customer service voice, you can’t find the cracks. “Thanks for coming to the rescue.”

“Of course! That’s what I’m here for.” He reached out, brushing a few strands of hair out of your eyes. He carefully tucks them back into place, the gesture surprisingly intimate. “There we go, much better! Have a good day, human!”

“Thanks. I’ll see you around.” You managed a small smile, and Papyrus seemed to brighten even more. You winced as you realize how creepy that might sound, but before you can fix your mistake he’s already talking again.

“Wonderful. I’ll see you later, human!” Papyrus stepped back, his hands out in case you lose your balance again.

Thankfully, you were able to keep a solid grip on everything. You gave him a grateful nod, but he was already heading for the counter. You’re half-tempted to follow him, but you know better than that. You’ve both got work to do, and you wouldn’t want to bother him.

You just turned and head for the door, a merciful customer holding it open for you. As you walked back to work, you couldn’t help thinking back to your unexpected saviour. You hoped that you’d actually get the chance to talk to him the next time you stop by, he seemed like the kind of guy you’d want to know.


	3. He is Home (SpicyHoney)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stretch never gave up on finding Edge. Never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Author: MsMK
> 
> Pairing: SpicyHoney
> 
> Prompt: First Day/Night (meant to be first day or night after being rescued)
> 
> Warnings/Tags: mentioned kidnapping/torture, mentions of PTSD/Trauma, hurt/comfort
> 
> Notes: I wanted to play with the idea of Stretch being the savior. I think it turned out rather nice! Word count is about 1500, longer than intended

It was quiet in the house, it had been since yesterday, since Stretch had surprised everyone by stumbling through the back door with an unconscious Edge. Not surprising that they were together, they'd been dating for nearly a year now. 

No.

Surprising in the way that Edge had been missing for upwards of three months.

Missing, but not forgotten, and everyone had been on the lookout for any trace of him. He had last been seen in Swap, stomping off after another lover's spat from a surly Stretch. They'd been arguing over him needing to wear a coat--protective as always, overly so, and Stretch had been in a bad mood to start, struggling with sleep lately and when Edge didn't return home that evening it hadn't helped. They tore apart Fell while Stretch searched desperately, until he was sobbing apologies to the tiles of the kitchen floor.

It was so long, and everyone was starting to think he was gone. If he was alive, surely he'd have fought his way out already, there's nowhere can hold a monster like him for long, least of all in Swap. Right?

But Stretch kept looking. He had to, that's his man, his baby, he _loved_ him, even if they hadn't quite gotten around to saying it (Stretch was just waiting for the right moment okay? He wasn't  _ scared _ , didn't worry that Edge would laugh in his face, seriously. Stop looking at him like that.) And through the many networks of Swap and with his walking lie detector skills, he'd found an anti-monster group with a suspiciously large order of monster food and monster candy, almost as if they were housing a monster that needed placating and healing.

He'd kept it to himself, the condition he'd found Edge in, the anti-magic collar, the filth and cold he had been laying in. Let Edge tell the story when he wakes, all he knows is the assholes weren't gonna make it to the morning after Red was done with them and they were lucky  _ Red _ was handling it because Stretch may not have LV but he was ready to fucking get some after what he'd seen.

He remained unconscious through the night, all the way until early evening the next day, and both Blue and Green had checked him over obsessively and found no wounds, the only concern being a reduced HoPe total. The general consensus was that he probably hadn't rested much of anything while missing, too much energy focused on survival and vigilance, and the moment Stretch's arms had closed around him he had passed the fuck out. 

Safe at last.

But Stretch wasn't feeling like much of a hero, curled up in his desk chair, watching his boyfriend's chest rise and fall with his breath, with no idea the extent of the horrors he'd been subjected to. No, he felt more like the villain, this was his fault, if they hadn't been fighting he never would have walked off by himself and especially not so irritated that he'd let his guard down. Even in Swap Edge was vigilant, but maybe being with Stretch had softened him a bit, and not necessarily for the better.

"...You came for me."

He started, looking up at Edge's face with large sockets. He was barely awake, his normally firey crimson eyelights a dull reddish hue, but they sparked just a bit brighter when Stretch met them. He had hardly held his hand out when Stretch was holding it.

"i did, 'course i did," Stretch rasped, squeezing his bony fingers and trying to convey everything at once, all his apologies and fears and worries.

"I knew," he reassured him. "I knew you would. I knew you'd find me. I told them as much every day and did you know, they laughed? They said there's no way anyone but the police were looking for someone with LV like mine."

"not true," Stretch soothed, fingertips gently ghosting over the back of his hand. "i never stopped looking."

"I know, Love," Edge crooned sweetly, and how awful that Stretch is the one being comforted here.

He swallowed back his tears. Edge needed him to be strong, he can't afford to push this trauma down with the rest, he needs to know he can cry on Stretch's shoulder.

"you're safe now," Stretch said softly, kissing his knuckles. "anything you need, babe, i'm here, okay? look--"

He pulled his hand up and settled it on his chest, where his magic thrummed behind his sternum. Edge's sockets widened just a bit, pressing his palm there, and Stretch resolutely did not wince when a CHECK washed over him, and another, and another, and another--he would endure until Edge was absolutely sure it was him, until his eyelights turned and took in the messy room, the sunshine falling through the curtains, the familiar scent of Stretch and his room.

Then his sockets closed once more, not to sleep but rather shut tight, then opened again to look around, relaxing only when he saw it was still there.

The first sob caught Stretch off guard, the hand he wasn't holding tight coming to stifle it.

"I'm sorry," Edge said softly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't. I didn't _always_ believe, Love, I didn't _always_ know. There were times I wasn't sure I'd make it to morning, times I worried you'd forgotten me. Sometimes when they left me all I saw or heard were shadows, whispers, and I even cursed your name, I blamed you, I'm so sorry--"

"hey, hey, shhh," Stretch hushed him gently, pushing into the bed and gathering him up. He had always been taller than Edge but he'd never felt  _ bigger _ , but Edge curled into his grasp so small, clinging to him. "it's okay, i'm here, i did come but it's okay that you doubted, you were hurting, you were scared. but i'm here now, and you're in my room in swap and everything is going to be okay, okay? they can't hurt you anymore." 

Edge nodded against his chest, a soft movement, and the wetness of silent tears was seeping through his sweatshirt but he didn't care at all, holding him closer, whispering softer, and even with no physical wounds it didn't stop him from running healing hands over his whole body slowly, asking where it hurts and what he can do.

It would be a few hours before he stopped crying, and Stretch wasn't sure if he was simply crying all the tears he'd held back his whole life or if it really was all  _ now _ and  _ exhaustion _ and  _ relief _ , but he didn't ask, only held him tight. The real struggle came later, he knew, the aftereffects and how severe, the figuring out what happened, navigating his trauma and finding proper coping methods.

But for now, he can make him feel better by being there. And he felt it, every time Edge opened his eyes to see it was still him he relaxed a little, and when he reluctantly laid down to rest more Stretch didn't budge from his side, determined to be the first thing he sees when he wakes again.

His own CHECKs revealed a battered soul, but his HoPe total was already ticking back up slowly. His flavor text was a simple "He is home" and that was enough to make Stretch hold him close as he slept, kissing his forehead and pulling the blankets up. 

"I love you," Edge said softly, so softly that Stretch almost missed it. "I thought about it a lot, about how I might never get to tell you. How stubborn I was in trying to pretend it wasn't so, thinking love and hope would get me nowhere, that soft things weren't meant for me, but I don't care anymore if you don't feel the same. I love you and I will keep loving you even if--"

"i love you, too," Stretch interjected, squeezing him tight, kissing his forehead. "i love you, i have for so long, please don't ever doubt that. i was only so scared to say it because i thought you wouldn't say it back."

"I probably wouldn't have," he sighed bitterly. "I don't know anymore. It's all a blur, I can hardly remember how I felt...before. How long was I…?"

"3 months, give or take a few days."

A sigh and Edge curled closer. He didn't say, but Stretch guessed it had felt like much longer. He didn't pry, just kissed him again, right on that cracked socket where his magic buzzed softly.

They both had a lot of sleepless nights to make up for, a lot of kisses and hugs missed, and next time he was asked Stretch would put on a coat without argument. And the next, and the next, and always, and never again would they flee from a fight, never again would they go to bed angry or send him back to Fell without resolution. Stretch decided that right then, closing his eyes and taking in his spicy scent.

He whispered his love again, even though Edge couldn't hear him as he slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Make sure to comment and tell me what you thought!


	4. Someone Who Cares (Spicyhoney)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge hasn't ever had anyone worry about him quite so much before, least of all Stretch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Author: MsMK  
> Pairing: SpicyHoney  
> Prompt: Anxiety  
> Warnings/Tags: anxiety, GAD, minor wounds  
> Notes: This is actually based on a perfectly wonderful little comic by @dreemurr-skelememer on tumblr that you can find [here!](https://dreemurr-skelememer.tumblr.com/post/168361616138/94-spicyhoney)

Edge has had worse injuries than this. There was the cracks on his socket, for one, and the time he broke his arm and it never quite healed right. He'd even had more extensive injuries than this, scratched head to toe from a fight in a bramble bush, horrible scrapes from being dragged along walls.

But all of those were before he met the other universe versions of him and his brother, and he had expected some fussing over him throughout the evening but ultimately these scrapes would heal over the next few days of good food that would likely be forced upon them by both Blue and Papyrus, and he might not even have a scratch left to scar. His magic works fast to fill in the gaps these days.

So a few scratches on his arms, some bandaids over fresh cracks in his skull, and minor cuts and a sprained wrist? Shouldn't be all that alarming. But then again, his softer counterparts have no idea how bad it could have been if he hadn't won the fight.

He'd received the most smothering from Papyrus and Blue, and that was to be expected. Stretch wasn't yet home for the evening and he was on less than stellar terms with him to start with, and Sans was content to let the others do the fussing and had spent the evening instead speaking with Red.

Edge was busy taking a moment to himself upstairs, feeling a little stifled from the attention, when he heard the door open downstairs. Maybe Stretch's room was not the best choice for a reprieve but at least he kept it free of garbage, even if he didn't clean up the rest of the place. He rewrapped the bandages around his arm, rewrapped several times by Blue for "MAXIMUM HEALING" but far too tight in case he needed to actually fight or tuck and roll.

Low voices and Blue's enthusiastic cadence made it clear Stretch was home so he supposed he should head down to receive the expected mocking about his hobbies and his murdery-ness. Or whatever Stretch felt like arguing about today.

He bristled when Stretch teleported directly beside him instead, a small curse of frustration with allowing him to sneak up on him. "CHRIST! WHAT, WALKING TOO GOOD FOR YOU NOW?"

"what the fuck  _ happened?! _ "

He blinked, surprised at the slight squeak of genuine concern in his voice as Stretch looked him over rapidly, his eyelights tiny pinpricks in his skull. "OH, PLEASE, IT WAS JUST A LITTLE TUSSLE. DON'T LET THE BANDAGES FOOL YOU, I'VE HAD WORSE, THERE'S NOTHING THOSE LV-CRAZED MANIACS CAN THROW AT ME THAT WOULD PUT ME OUT OF COMMISSION FOR LONG--"

"oh my fucking god, edge, can you just--" Stretch made a frustrated noise, gripping his skull. "can you just stop being so  _ fucking _ reckless? god you, you give me so  _ many _ headaches, like holy shit--"

He sighed and pressed his palms to his face, and Edge stared in shock as orange tears began to leak down around his hands, staining pearly white bone.

"it's fucking surprising that i care about you so  _ fucking much _ that my body's in physical  _ pain _ when i worry," he spat, half a sob and half a growl. "and i worry  _ way too much _ for my own fucking good, holy fuck!"

Stretch spun away from him and Edge only stood there dumbly as his double braced himself against the desk, muttering to himself, panicked breathing hitching up as he folded his hands over his head. Listening closer it seemed he was trying to calm himself, verbally instructing himself to breathe on a timer, but it was a hard battle when his own counting was off beat.

He startled when Edge touched his shoulder, but he didn't pull away as Edge awkwardly tried to comfort him.

"Breathe," he said softly, patting Stretch rhythmically on the back. "I'm alright, I'm here, I'm in one piece, so breathe."

The hiccuping breaths slowed but Stretch stayed firmly turned, shakily breathing with the rhythmic patting. "y-you call this one piece, asshole?"

"It's accurate," he snorted. "I am not missing any limbs, so everything is fine."

"everything is  _ not _ fine!" Stretch huffed, his hands smacking the desk in frustration. "just...i-i just...can't lose you, too…"

The sobbing was back, and Stretch collapsed into the chair at his desk, head buried in his arms, and Edge had to lean close to hear his garbled words.

"--sometimes just get this feeling, when m'at work, that you're  _ dust _ somewhere an' nobody'd even know because there's  _ so much _ in your world, nobody'd know where to find yours, or worse you're hurt and needing help but we can't help you and nobody there will--" He sucked in a breath, dragging a hand over his skull. "so fucking  _ intrusive _ , the fear that you're out there somewhere  _ dying _ and i can't  _ stop it _ . and then you show up looking like  _ this _ and try t'pass it off as  _ everything is fine--" _

"I'm sorry," Edge said automatically, placing a gentle hand on Stretch's arm. "It's not fine, and I'm sorry I said it was."

Stretch said nothing, though his sockets did emerge from the depths of his orange sweatshirt, eyelights dimly looking at his hand as Edge sat on the desk beside him.

"I won't lie, it's dangerous there. I will probably never be truly safe when I'm in Fell," he explained slowly. "But I'm already far safer than anyone else who lives there, and do you know why?"

Stretch shrugged.

Edge raised his hand from his arm to his skull, buttery leather running gently over Stretch's crown.

"Because I have people who care about me. I have Papyrus and Blue to fuss over me and heal me and make me soup, and I didn't realize it before but I also have you to worry about me, to wonder if I'm safe and if I'm warm. And that is already more to live for than others in my Snowdin."

"...that's kinda sad," Stretch grumbled, and Edge nodded.

"It is sad. That's why I fight my fights, you know, to try to be that person who will care, for them. And I can only do that for them because...well, because you do it for me." He stilled his hand when Stretch moved, but to his delight he only pressed harder into the touch and oh, those are feelings he had never considered for Stretch but, well, they're there now. "I'm sorry I make you anxious when I'm not here but trust me, I will always come back to you. Don't I always come back?"

"guess so," Stretch sighed. He pushed up and away from Edge's touch, much to his dismay. "...thanks. always been a worry wart but i guess with you there's just more to worry about. kinda let it get to me. sorry."

"Don't be, it's…" Edge hesitated, but hesitation was never his style. The feelings may be new but it doesn't mean there's room to hesitate. "To know you worry about me is very sweet indeed."

With that he leaned in, taking the chance because hey, what could go wrong? A whole lot, but it doesn't matter, Stretch is a roller coaster on his best days and if Edge is gonna get in line for the ride, he might as well jump in with both feet.

Stretch made a noise of surprise as Edge kissed him, but it didn't stop him from kissing back, two hands delicately cradling Edge's face with careful avoidance of his bandaged scratches. He'd always seemed so off-put by Edge, so wary or distasteful, but the shudder that ran down his spine and the way he kissed him, oh, Edge suspected he may have been more than blind in one socket to miss this, to miss the way that Stretch looked at him. It was all-to-clear now that Stretch had felt for him a long time, and perhaps it was Edge's own prickly self to blame for his unfriendliness.

But it doesn't matter who's to blame, all that matters is they are here, now, like this, and eventually Edge and Red would need to go home tonight but this kiss was a promise, a promise to return, that he would always come back.

A promise Edge intended to keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this little blurb!


	5. Cuddle Buddies (EdgePuff)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the Papyri are terrible at sleeping, but Edge thinks Papyrus is the worst offender. Luckily Edge isn't afraid to get physical if it means Papyrus gets some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Author: MsMK
> 
> Pairing: EdgePuff
> 
> Prompt: Cuddling
> 
> Warnings/Tags: Insomnia
> 
> Notes: Inspired by @renmarrr on tumblr and their lovely Edgepuff art 🥰

Edge was a light sleeper, in both depth and time-wise. Being from where he was from, seeing what he'd seen, he'd learned early to be the last one asleep and the first awake, and even now that they were in a safer universe, it was a hard habit to break.

Apparently, though, insomnia was a shared Papyrus trait. Even with their lazy Sans-ish counterpart Stretch, insomnia was the norm for Papyri of any world, no matter how hard they all tried to hide it. Edge had to wonder what could possibly be so bad about sleeping for them--Stretch often claimed nightmares, and Edge had to hold his tongue instead of snappishly asking what he could possibly have nightmares about...and had to stop himself from laying into him when he found him napping in odd places.

Though as vexing as Stretch's sleep habits were, Papyrus was very nearly worse. Papyrus, bless his soul, would simply deny any  _ need _ for sleep, or deny he hadn't gotten any, and no amount of nagging and bitching would get him to change his cheery outlook on his dismal sleep schedule. And unlike Stretch, he  _ didn't _ nap during the day to make up for it, which led Edge down the road of worrywart-dom a lot easier than he cared to admit.

Which led to this strange ritual, the dance, the game, the chase. Call it what you will but it always started the same way: Edge would ask how he slept, and Papyrus would dodge the question, and Edge would ask again but firmer, and Papyrus would attempt to distract him with whatever he was cooking, and Edge would insist he lay down--which, of course, wouldn't happen--and so on and so forth until Edge lost his temper.

Eventually this all led to the same thing. Edge would wind up wrestling Papyrus down to the couch and holding him there, turning on a movie as somebody took over dinner, and they would both stay there until either dinner was done or Papyrus had slept some.

He couldn't help but notice that Papyrus became less resistant over time, that it was easier to steer him over to the couch and coax him off his feet. Though he still had to practically hold him down--if he tried to walk away, Papyrus would be up in moments, doing some other task that could stand to wait, and the dance would start all over again. No matter how easy it became to get Papyrus to rest, he never seemed to be willing to do it without Edge, and so nearly every night they ended up curled around each other, Edge watching over him as he dozed against Edge's chest.

It happened so often that when it didn't, it garnered strange reactions.

"where's your cuddlebuddy?"

Edge looked at Stretch in confusion, pausing his fiddling with the remote. "...MY WHAT?"

Stretch cocked his head at him, raising a browbone slowly. "papyrus. usually you're snuggled up by now."

"PAPYRUS IS MAKING A SALAD AND THEN I WILL BE MAKING HIM SIT DOWN. FOR NOW I AM CHOOSING A MOVIE TO HELP FACILITATE A RESTFUL ATMOSPHERE." Edge responded stiffly, holding up the remote pointedly. "IF YOU'RE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT HIS SLEEP CYCLE, THEN PERHAPS YOU COULD HELP HERD HIM IN HERE WHILE I PICK THE MOVIE?"

Stretch paused a long moment, humming thoughtfully as he looked from Edge to the kitchen doorway. "...nah. think i'll leave you to it, not sure it'd work the same coming from me...if you get my drift."

"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOUR DRIFT IS BUT THEN AGAIN, THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL. IF YOU AREN'T GOING TO HELP, THEN AT LEAST GO GET SOME REST YOURSELF."

Stretch  _ laughed _ at that, and he didn't quite understand what was so funny but then at least he walked away. Edge rolled his eyelights and selected the movie, and then began the search for his wayward counterpart.

"DONE."

"BUT THE BISCUITS!" Papyrus squeaked as Edge herded him away from the counters, where he'd been arranging biscuits on a baking tray. Blue took over seamlessly, almost as if he hadn't even noticed the interruption, making Papyrus' sparse complaints even less convincing.

"BISCUITS WILL BE FINE. IT IS TIME TO REST."

Funny how before it would have been such a battle, but Papyrus seemed to soften now, practically leading the way down the well known routine of getting comfy on the couch. He didn't even try to escape when Edge's back was turned, standing by obediently as Edge rearranged the pillows. He followed at the first beckoning, slotting up against him and sockets already drifting closed as Edge tucked a blanket around them both.

Then Edge pressed PLAY and settled in, making himself comfortable with one arm cushioning Papyrus' head and the other wrapped about his waist, pulling him snugly in to make sure he couldn't get away and--

He paused, an almost audible click sounding inside his mind as he realized.

This was cuddling. They were cuddling. They had been nearly every night for months now, snuggling on the couch and being idle together, like...like a couple. Papyrus didn't stay down without Edge, not because he needed to be held down, but rather because he enjoyed  _ being held _ , and the thought was so starkly alien and strange and yet so glaringly obvious that Edge felt rather ridiculous for not thinking of it sooner.

His lack of resistance made sense now. Papyrus  _ wanted _ to rest, with Edge, he  _ wanted _ to cuddle up and watch something with him, he  _ enjoyed _ it, and that...oh, that makes his soul do some funny little flips inside his chest, it certainly does.

And Stretch's comment made sense now. Papyrus wouldn't rest for Stretch because he didn't  _ want _ to cuddle with Stretch.

"ARE WE DATING?" He blurted out suddenly, cursing himself when Papyrus shifted, sockets opening to gaze up at him curiously.

"DO YOU WANT US TO BE DATING?" Papyrus asked, so genuine, so sweet, and Edge could feel his skull heating up, but at the very least Papyrus was also blushing and he's got that going for him.

"I...DO  _ YOU? _ " He asked, still confused, still wrapped around him and God's, he somehow hoped the answer was yes--

"I WOULD LIKE THAT," Papyrus hummed in response, covering his blush slightly with one gloved hand. "IF YOU WOULD?"

"I WOULD! LIKE TO DATE, I MEAN! I THINK!" He squeaked, and oh, he's certainly red if he wasn't before, what a train wreck, realizing all of this and choking out a confession all in the span of ten seconds--

But Papyrus' face made it all worth it, melting into pure joy, and oh, the way he dragged him closer, hugged him, and Edge could only hug him back, pressing a clumsy kiss to the top of his skull as his soul flooded with happiness and an overwhelming sense of comfort and contentment.

"SORRY!" He sputtered. "FOR YELLING! AND FOR BEING VERY DENSE!"

Papyrus chuckled, snuggling closer. "DON'T BE, I'M VERY HAPPY AND IT WAS VERY CUTE!"

"ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT ME IS CUTE, I AM VERY FEARSOME AND POINTY, BUT THANK YOU ANYWAY," Edge countered and oh, lords, why is he still speaking? 

Luckily for him, Papyrus only giggled, flushing brighter, and he even got a small kiss for it, right on his cheekbone, and if any skeleton has ever looked more like a stoplight he's certain they are lying.

At the very least, from then on, he didn't have to ask if Papyrus had rested last night. He would just know he did, because they rested together, and it was lovely in every way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first Edgepuff piece, I think! I hope you enjoyed! Edge being a tiny bit of a dense disaster is very cute tbh

**Author's Note:**

> [MsMK's Tumblr](msmkcreates.tumblr.com) and [her original fiction/monster love blog.](graciedoesart.tumblr.com)  
> [Corabmarie's tumblr](corabmarie.tumblr.com)  
> [MysteryFicAnon'sTumblr](mystery-fic-anon.tumblr.com)


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